


iced coffee to go

by SchmokSchmok



Series: Klance AU Month 2019 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Klance AU Month 2019, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 16:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SchmokSchmok/pseuds/SchmokSchmok
Summary: It's cold outside and Keith, the disaster gay that he is, just ordered iced coffee to go.





	iced coffee to go

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first attempt at a month long challenge and it's my first attempt to write so much in english. bear with me and (hopefully) enjoy.  
> unbeta'd for your pleasure.
> 
> ps: fahrenheit doesn't make any sense.

It's a way too cold February morning and Keith can't feel his fingers anymore. He's standing outside of the small coffee shop, waiting, his feet getting colder and wetter with every minute Pidge takes to navigate through the snow. (Normally, he wouldn't mind waiting for them but he's a bit cranky because it took him what felt like an eternity until he was finally able to sleep. He craves coffee, black and strong and with so much caffeine he won't need to sleep for the next six days.)  
He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and buries his hands deep inside his pockets which aren't that much warmer than the snowy February air. Pidge owes him one, he decides, they were the one to suggest this coffee shop in the first place even though it's neither on his nor their way. (And to be quite honest he's not sure if he can take the friendly smile of the handsome barista and the teasing tone of his voice today.)

»Sorry!«, Pidge yells, hands deep in their pockets and a scarf looped tightly around their neck. They skidder on the frozen pavement and the only reason they don't sprawl is Keith who manages to catch them mid-fall. »Professor Altea couldn't cut it short. Otherwise I would have been here earlier.«  
Keith nods but doesn’t answer, he releases his grip on their forearm and turns around to open the coffee shop door. Warmth greets him and he tries to shrug snow off his shoulders while he holds the door open for Pidge. A strong gust of wind makes them stumble past him and he accidentally inhales a few snowflakes causing him to close the door with much more gusto than expected.

»Careful, Mullet, we need the glass to keep the cold out.« It’s the handsome barista, because of effing course it is. Keith really wants to smile embarrassed but he only manages to grimace before he wipes melting snow off his face.

»The usual?«, the handsome barista asks when Pidge and Keith approach the counter. Keith only nods. »Venti blonde roast iced. And for you, Gremlin?« He picks up a cup and starts to write on it without turning away from them completely. Pidge rolls their eyes.

»Fuck you, Lance«, they retort. »Make that two. But mine hotter than hell.« The handsome barista (Lance) has the audacity to wink at them (or did he wink at Keith? no, no, that can’t be) and starts to prepare their drinks.

»You’re seriously going to drink an iced coffee«, Pidge deadpans and it’s not really a question, because: hell yes, now he has to! »You’ll freeze to death. Why didn’t you just change your order?« Keith shoots a glance at the handsome barista (who’s name obviously is Lance and he should really try to use it!) and answers in a hushed tone: »Because I’m gay that’s why!« 

»Keith, you don’t have to fulfil every gay stereotype just because you think it’s edgy.« They pat their back pockets and the pockets of their jacket before digging through their bag. With a sigh Keith pulls out his wallet and signifies them that they’ll have to pay the next time. Pidge smiles at him and it’s one of their rare smiles only he gets. (And maybe Matt but only if they’re not bickering and insulting each other.) He puts a ten dollar note on the counter even though he knows it’s way too much but Lance is always nice (and maybe even flirty) and Keith is just going to cut back on food delivery during exam’s. That’s okay if it makes Lance smile.

»It’s not that«, Keith says low-voiced and he really wants to explain that he’s perhaps maybe possibly slightly crushing on Lance even though they never had a real conversation. But he can’t, can he? Pidge is the type of friend who’d tease him restlessly for not acting on a teeny-tiny crush. (A teeny-tiny crush that earned him an iced coffee in less than thirty degree weather.)

»Ohhh!« They wiggle their eyebrows. »Got it. You’re _gay_.«

»I just said that.« 

»What did you just say?«, Lance chimes in, big smile plastered across his face. Keith shoots Pidge a panicked glance and they actually jump in for him: »Oh, Keith just said that you’re, like, a really good barista. You make a mean cup of coffee. Cute milk foam art. The whole package.« They grin and Lance actually kind of … blushes? »You’re, like, the only reason we come here. Right, Keith?« 

Keith’s torn between being sarcastic and possibly hurting Lance’s feelings and being honest and possibly making Lance uncomfortable. He’s mid-decision when Lance comes unwittingly to his rescue: »Well, most people do.« He laughs, scratching the back of his neck. »It’s kinda hard to resist my charm. Few attempted but they all failed spectacularly and now buy their coffee before midday even though they got noon classes. Only to see my beautiful, beautiful face.« Lance shoots them finger guns and winks, and Keith can’t help himself he smiles.

»Well, we gotta go«, Pidge says even though Keith doesn’t want to. »See you Saturday, Lance!« They turn around and leave the café without missing a beat. Keith looks dumbfounded after them, waves low-key at Lance and follows them, after saying: »Goodbye, Lance.«

» _See you Saturday, Lance_?«, Keith asks in a mocking tone as soon as the door closes behind him. Pidge shrugs dismissively and clutches the steaming hot cup of coffee in their hands. But after a few moments of uncomfortable silence they say: »My science buddy Hunk is good friends with him. They share a dorm room and on Saturday we watch movies and play Magic The Gathering. I invited you a few times, remember?«

»Yeah, but you never told me it’s Lance«, Keith tries to defend himself (and fails rather miserably).

»How should I know that you’ve got a Big Fat Gay Crush on a boy I didn’t even know you knew«, Pidge answers and Keith hates to admit that they’re right.

»It’s not big and fat. But gay? I give you that.« Keith pushes open a door and they enter the building their next class is in. There’s ten minutes left until their course starts which is why they search for the nearest heater and at least try to dry off a bit.

»Well, it’s big and fat enough for you to stop functioning, so …«, they conclude and try to celebrate with much needed caffeine but instead burn (rightfully Keith might add) their tongue. Wisely Pidge hasn’t drunk as much as a sip of their coffee until now. Meanwhile Keith’s plastic cup is half empty. And that’s the moment Pidge starts to squint, then takes a step forward and suddenly begins to cackle loudly to Keith’s utter surprise. 

»What is that?« They grab Keith’s cup and turn it around until the place where Keith’s name should be is right in front of them. But instead of Keith’s name there are just two big rounded letters and an ugly drawn smiley face. »That smooth fucker.«

»He always does that. I kind of gave up to understand why he shortens my name. Or why he thinks that’s an adequate shortening of my name«, Keith says.

»Keith, what’s that?« They point at the first letter. And apparently he has to spell it out for them.

»That, beloved Pidge, is a _Q_. You should have learned that in first grade.« He resists the urge to roll his eyes and also the need to glance at his watch because he’s getting the feeling that they’re going to be late.

»And, darling Keith, what is that?« They point at the second letter, waiting for him to say it aloud, too.

»That, sweet Pidge, is a _T_. Also a letter you should have learned in first grade.«

»You damn well know I skipped first grade. But that’s beside the point«, they dismiss. »Say it again. At one go!« They look at him intensely and he’s about to tell them off when they point their index finger at him and add: »I swear to god I’m gonna kick your shin. Do it already!« Keith sighs.

»Q. T.« And maybe all Keith needed was Pidge spelling it out for him. It’s embarrassing and he’ll definitely deny it if someone’s asking him but sometimes English is hard and he doesn’t quite get written puns because he’s reading letters and numbers in Korean or Japanese. (He blames Shiro for the latter.) »Oh.«

»Yeah, _Oh_.« Pidges takes a step back to regain their personal space and nods towards the door. »We should head in, Rome- _oh_.«

»And what’s with the ugly smiley face?«, Keith asks, feigning countenance (because he can’t quite process that Lance, the handsome barista, perhaps maybe possibly slightly thinks he’s cute). Pidge just stares at him and answers: »That’s not a fucking smiley face.« But it doesn’t matter how much he tries to bribe or beg them (he even threatens to shank them but they both know he wouldn’t go through with it) they won’t budge.

(It takes him another two whole months until he realises that it’s, in fact, like Pidge said, not an effing smiley face but an even uglier and very deformed looking arrow that’s pointing to the bottom of the cup. When he finally turns his cup upside down he reads in tiny letters Lance’s phone number. Not that he’d need it anyway since Lance gave it to him five weeks ago at Hunk’s and his movie night. – That smooth fucker, indeed.)


End file.
